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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Paul Karp Chief political correspondent

Nearly 2,300 applicants died waiting for a parent visa to Australia with processing times of up to 31 years

Signage for Home Affairs in Melbourne.
Processing wait times are now 14 years for a contributory parent visa, according to the Australian federal government. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Wait times for visas to bring parents to Australia are so long that nearly 2,300 applicants died before receiving a visa in the last three years, according to the home affairs department.

The department released the data to Senate estimates, revealing that 2,297 parent visa applicants and 87 other family members, such as aged dependent relatives or carers, had died while waiting for a visa.

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